To Slay a Kingdom
by nowyouseemenowyoudont
Summary: How does a Prince who cares for no one find the strength to save his kingdom? He needs help, but will he be willing to accept it? SessXKags
1. Prologue

Prologue

The Inu Hanyou growled in frustration and his white dog ears flattened to his head. He was sat next to the small lake that ran through the grounds of his father's palace. He was a short while away from the practise fields where his brother was going through some intensive training with the guards. Actually it was more like his brother was mopping the floor with the guards.

For years the Inu Hanyou named Inuyasha had looked up to his full demon brother Sesshoumaru. But he had been treated with cold detachment and sometimes even blatant hostility. Eventually he had given up on the idea of getting his brothers affections. Now all he wanted was the respect of his brother.

Inuyasha knew that if he could beat his brother in combat then he would gain the Yokai's respect. However this was a feat that none had yet accomplished. Not even their own father.

Since the age of seven Sesshoumaru had shown a keen intelligence and a high endurance. He was agile and had a way with words. Now that he was seventeen no one could stop him.

"What is wrong?" a soft child like voice asked

Inuyasha glanced behind him to see a young girl of around twelve stood there. She was obviously a peasant with her kimono made out of different coloured patches of blue material, but her raven black hair sparkled with a blue tint that suggested care was taken over it. Her eyes were unusual a slate grey that faded into a light lilac as the colour drew closer to her pupils. She was barefoot but that mattered very little considering she was stood on the silky smooth grass of the palace gardens.

"Nothing, stupid kid" he muttered glaring at her

She took in the strange Hanyou with his red kimono and silver hair, fangs, teeth and dog ears. He was interesting and his ears made her want to touch them. They twitched as he talked.

"I may be a child but you must only be a few years older than I" she told him

"I'm fourteen!" he retorted "what are you? Nine?"

"I'm twelve" she was calm but a little resentful at his harsh tone

"Yeah well I don't need some child's help" he said

She hit him around the head with a fan she produced from the sleeve of her kimono "don't be a spoilt baby" she advised "it is unbecoming of you"

"Why do you speak like you're an adult?" he rolled her eyes "you aren't fooling anyone"

"I do not wish to deceive" she said coolly "nor do I wish to speak like a baka"

"Leave me alone" he ordered

"No"

"I am the Prince of this land and I say you leave wench!" he growled

"Stop being a baka" she advised hitting him with the fan again "tell me what it is that ails you"

"My brother" he growled

"Sesshoumaru-sama" she nodded "what about him?"

"I want him to be less of an arrogant bastard"

She hit him with her fan again "I am only twelve, refrain from such language around me"

"Make up your mind" he muttered "are you a child or aren't you?"

"Do you want help with your problem?" she asked pretending not to hear his grumblings

"How can you help?" he asked

"Those sounds, are they of your brother fighting?"

"Yes" he was sceptical, wondering what she was going to do next.

She smiled at down at him as she stood next to him "Let's go and see him"

She took the Hanyou's clawed hand and dragged him over to the fighting ring where his brother was currently fending off a bear demon with lithe ease.

The young girl watched the silver hair Inu Yokai with detached amusement. She knew he was very handsome and his long silver hair was tied in a loose braid over his shoulder so he could fight in ease. He had a crescent moon on his forehead and two magenta stripes running down his proud cheekbones. The stripes also ran across his wrists and because of his absence of upper body clothing another two magenta stripes could be seen on his hips before they disappeared into his waist band. His eyes were the same golden as her Hanyou companion but those orbs belonging to Sesshoumaru were much colder.

He pulled Toukijin, his evil sword from its sheath and pressed it to the artery that was pulsing in the bear demons throat. It appeared he had already won this battle without the need for a sword, he was merely using Toukijin to prove a point. Only a Daiyokai could wield a sword as powerful as Toukijin.

"Do you yield?" he asked, his voice was cool and detached as if he cared little for the answer that would be given.

The bear demon panted "Yes Ouji-sama"

He pulled the sword away from his neck and replaced it in its sheath. His eyes showed no victory, he seemed not to care that he had won.

He turned away and spotted his idiotic half brother who was standing on the side of the practise ring with his hand in the grasp of a young girl. A human no less.

The girl was watching him, a half smile playing on her lips, her grey lilac eyes shrewd.

She stepped over the line into the practise pit and bowed. His half brother tried to stop her but she paid him no heed.

"What does a human peasant want with this Sesshoumaru?" he asked coldly. She didn't miss the way he made human sound like slug.

"Tell me Ouji-sama" she said smoothly "what happened to make you so emotionless?"

There was a brittle silence in which Inuyasha prayed to god that she might survive this encounter somehow. He knew it was merely wishful thinking.

The guards who had recently been defeated all gulped in unison. This human child had touched upon a bad subject.

"Leave the palace grounds now" Sesshoumaru's Yokai aura flexed with vexation.

"If you continue to fight without any cares you will have nothing to live for" she told him "to you being the strongest is your mission, but what will you do when that becomes a reality?"

Everyone in the near vicinity winced as Sesshoumaru snapped. He grabbed the young girl around the neck with a clawed hand and picked her up off the ground of the practise arena. She felt him crushing her windpipe but didn't struggle.

"Onii-chan!" Inuyasha yelled jumping into the fray "Let her go!"

Sesshoumaru turned his gaze onto the Hanyou and dropped the young girl. She hit the floor without attempting to break her fall and lay with her head on the ground; regaining oxygen.

Sesshoumaru backhanded his half brother across the arena.

"Do not oppose this Sesshoumaru little brother" he said coldly

"Looks like I hit a nerve" she coughed smiling up at the elder brother she slowed pulled herself to her feet.

"This Sesshoumaru will not ask you again" Sesshoumaru glared down at the younger girl, if looks could kill... "Leave the palace grounds"

"I believe you did just ask me again" she pointed out

He growled at the insubordinate child. Normal human adults were terrified of him, so much so that they could barely look him in the eyes. But this child of barely a decade was challenging him.

"If you beat me in a fair fight, then I will leave" she said

"You believe you can beat this Sesshoumaru?" he demanded "you are a pup"

"I'm twelve" she rolled her grey eyes "why is everyone so hung up on that?"

"You are a pup" he said

"Scared you'll lose?" she asked a wicked smile curving her lips.

He growled and drew Toukijin. "This Sesshoumaru has never killed without necessity" he said slowly venom dripping from his tone "but the necessity to stop your infernal noise is pushing this Sesshoumaru to ending your insignificant little life"

She giggled "Can you fight as well as you can talk?" she asked

He struck the sword towards her and the energy created by his sword hit upon a barrier. The barrier was not visible until the energy collided with it and then as it did the barrier glowed purple in an orb around the child before dissipating.

"You are a Miko" he said coldly

"You are an Inu Yokai; actually more like a Daiyokai" she said "Is this turning into a race war?"

"You failed to mention it" said Sesshoumaru

"You did not tell me either" she said

"It matters not what you are" Sesshoumaru warned "This Sesshoumaru shall not lose"

"Confidence, no over confidence will be your down fall" she told him

"We'll see" he said swinging Toukijin he advanced on her with demons speed and she smiled and closed her eyes. Her true eyes were useless to his demon speed but her inner eye was able to sense the movements much more aptly.

The assembled guard who had been thoroughly beaten and Inuyasha watched in shock as Sesshoumaru lunged again and again at the young girl.

She danced.

Or at least her movements were fluid enough that it appeared this was what she was doing. She was reminiscent of a small ballerina and just as graceful.

She opened her mischievously glinting silver purple eyes as he stopped the assault to growl at her his eyes bleeding red.

He was beginning to get annoyed at his failed attempts and his left eye was twitching "Dragon strike"

She watched in awe as Toukijin glowed with a blue. Spectacular blue fireworks burst forth and a dragon was formed from the blue light.

She looked at it and wondered why the sky had gone dark and then mentally shrugged. She considered defensive techniques. But then something occurred to her and she smiled.

Inuyasha felt a thrill of irrational fear shoot down her spine at the sight of her humourless smile.

She waited until the dragon of light was close enough and she threw her energy at it and wrapped the dragon in her purple shield. The purple orb contracted around the blue light and crushed the dragon until the orb was the size of a basket ball.

"No way" Inuyasha said in a whisper

She held the purple orb in one hand and threw it at Sesshoumaru.

He could have moved. But he was rooted to the spot in shock. No one should have been able to subdue Toukijin's dragon strike. But this pup had managed it with seemingly no qualms.

He snapped back to reality in time to realise he needed to move to avoid death. He stepped to the left a fraction of a second too late.

The resulting explosion knocked the young prince unconscious and left him in a crater.

"Kami" Inuyasha exclaimed

"That worked better than I thought" Kagome said

"You mean to say that you were winging it?" Inuyasha was flabbergasted

"Sort of" she shrugged

"Kagome!" a distant voice yelled and Kagome turned to see Kaede standing near the gates of the palace calling for her ward.

"Ja ne" she said to Inuyasha

"Hey where are you going?" he asked as she ran away

"I'll come back... someday" she promised before disappearing into the distance.

A/N: I do not own Inuyasha ne? I make no profit from this either. Anyway please review and remember this is only the prologue and that in the actual story Kagome will not be twelve.

This is my first attempt at a fight sequence so please be nice. Also there is a reason Kagome is so damn powerful so bare with me.


	2. Chapter One: First Impressions Again

Chapter one: First Impressions Again

Five years had passed since Sesshoumaru had been beaten by a small girl. The rumour had spread like wildfire throughout the kingdom.

Yokai from the furthest reaches of the land came to challenge the newly weakened Sesshoumaru.

They left in body bags.

Sesshoumaru was furious. Actually that is too mild of a description, livid is more apt. He threw himself into becoming the best at everything he could possibly try. He could do anything and he became the best at everything.

But there was still the haunting memory of the young girl who had beaten him.

He tried to find her, but all he had to search with was the name Kagome and the fact that she had Miko capabilities. This did not yield him many results and he fumed over the younger girl who was taunting him even now.

Nowadays Sesshoumaru was more involved in the running of the kingdom along with InuTaisho, his father. He was widely recognised as being smart and intelligent and accurate in every field. But no one could deny he was not as caring for his people as InuTaisho had been.

Sesshoumaru had a vivid belief of the hierarchy. He believed that Yokai would always rule, that Hanyou's should be treated like dirt and that humans were worker ants and nothing more.

As such InuTaisho had given his eldest son an ultimatum. Either he learnt how to care for someone or he would never become King.

Needless to say this did not sit well with Sesshoumaru.

"The next item on your agenda Ouji-sama is to choose the new palace healer" Jaken sprinted alongside the distantly livid Sesshoumaru as the Prince made his way along the hallway to the throne room.

"Why does that concern this Sesshoumaru?" Sesshoumaru asked in a bored yet haughty voice

"Um, your father gave you the task because..." the kappa trailed off

"Out with it"

"Because he says it's your fault that he lost the last healer" Jaken finished in a near whisper. Sesshoumaru watched in distaste as the small kappa demon tried to hide himself from the blow he thought he would receive from the young prince.

"Why is it this Sesshoumaru's fault?" Sesshoumaru questioned

"Um... milord you did behead the last healer with your poison whip did you not?" Jaken asked timidly

"Hn" Sesshoumaru did indeed remember the act of beheading some insignificant human on the way back from his incredibly frustrating meeting with the lords of the land but he had not realised at the time exactly who he had beheaded in his rage.

"Somehow..." he trailed off yet again. Sesshoumaru sighed; the stench of the kappa's fear was thick in the air and making him feel kind of nauseous.

"Speak up or never speak again" Sesshoumaru threatened, or promised.

"Somehow word got out that the last Healer was beheaded by you milord" Jaken hurried over his words as if saying them fast enough would make the implications less painful "so there was only one applicant for the position"

"Who?" Sesshoumaru asked as they changed course and headed to the council chambers where the applicant should be awaiting them.

"Her name was Kagome Higurashi" the kappa told him

Kagome?

"Repeat that" Sesshoumaru ordered

"Her name was Kagome Higurashi" the kappa repeated this slowly an expression of panic flitting across his features as he wondered what it was he'd done wrong.

"Surely not" Sesshoumaru murmured to himself as he entered the council chambers.

There was a woman sat at the table with her back to him. She had long soft silky black hair that fell past her waist with a blue tint to it. She was wearing a dark blue kimono with silver detailing and a light blue obi. When she heard the door open she turned to face them.

Her skin was a pale ivory colour, her cheek bones haughty, her lips full and her eyes framed with thick dark lashes. Her eyes were grey swirling with lilac and a small smirk played upon her features.

"You" Sesshoumaru stated

"Ohayo Sesshoumaru-sama" she said pleasantly. It was the same Kagome as the one who had beaten him on that day. But she had grown, her child's body had become a woman's and the hourglass shape suited her.

She surveyed him as he surveyed her. He had not changed much since her last glimpse of him. He had bulked up a little more and he seemed to be even more powerful even though he had been able to wield Toukijin last time they had encountered him. This sent a slight shiver down her spine, he had been pretty damn powerful last time, so what did that make him now?

"What are you doing here?" he snarled

"I would have thought that to be obvious" she said in a teasing tone "I am the single applicant for the post of castle healer"

"You are denied" he said curtly before going to walk away

"Why?" she asked a smile evident in her voice "Are you holding a past grudge against me?"

Sesshoumaru's eye began to twitch; this woman-child annoyed him like no other.

"Silence onna" he growled

"Tell me your reason for your refusal Ouji-sama" she said advancing slowly on the prince

"Yes Sesshoumaru share with us your reason" a new voice intoned and they turned to see King InuTaisho stood behind Sesshoumaru looking a mixture of happy and stern.

Sesshoumaru bowed to his father and Kagome gave a shriek of happiness and flung herself at the king like a small child.

Sesshoumaru felt he was hallucinating but InuTaisho took it all in his stride and in turn wrapped his arms around the girl and gave her a bear hug. Sesshoumaru was perplexed, the intimacy of the action suggested that they knew each other...

"It is so good to see you again InuTaisho-sama" she squealed

"Hai, it has been a long time" he told her in his deep gravelly baritone. "And how is the good Lady Kaede?"

"Still standing" Kagome released him and they stood close to carry on their confusing conversation "She seems to have a Yokai life span though she is naught but human"

He chuckled "I see you met the eldest of my sons" he gestured to Sesshoumaru

"I met Sesshoumaru-sama back when Kaede last visited you" she confessed

"Ah" InuTaisho smiled as he realised their past meeting had probably accounted towards the disdain Sesshoumaru regarded Kagome with.

"She should leave" Sesshoumaru forced himself to reign in his tone

"Nonsense" his father declared "this onna is the most powerful Miko since Midoriko herself. Plus she is the only applicant for the post of healer"

"Does that mean I have the job?" she enquired innocently

"Of course my child, I would have it no other way" he smiled warmly "you are the charge of Lady Kaede so you are practically family"

Sesshoumaru glared at his father and fumed silently before turning on his heel and striding from the room.

"Tell me InuTaisho-sama where is Inuyasha-sama?" she asked the king as she smirked as to the nature of Sesshoumaru's departure.

"You know my younger son too?" he enquired in surprise

"Hai, I met him once and helped him with a problem that he had" she was deliberately vague

"I believe he is in the garden with the Monk Miroku and the Kitsune Shippo" he said musingly

"I think I'll go and see him again" she smiled

"I'll send someone to fetch your things and put them in your new chambers"

"Arigato" she smiled, bowed and departed.

The king smiled and watched her go. It appeared she had already made quite an impression on Sesshoumaru; this could be good for his young son.

***

"Miroku got slapped again huh?" Shippo said laughing as the dark haired monk in a traditional black and purple robe carrying a staff approached them wearing his favourite red hand slap across his face.

"Stop being such a Hentai" Inuyasha grunted as he folded his arms behind his head. He was wearing his usual fire rat kimono and not much had changed of the young Hanyou since his encounter with Kagome except his respect for Miko's.

"Have I not told you?" Miroku enquired as he sat down next to the two on the banks of the palace garden "My hand is cursed"

"I don't get how lechery is a curse when you choose to do it" Shippo replied he was around fifteen in human years and deliberately ignorant to the most of Miroku's ways.

Miroku chuckled "Ah, my friend you have a lot to learn"

"Ohayo mina-san" said a soft and decidedly feminine voice as Kagome appeared behind them.

Inuyasha sat up to frown at her carefully, there was something familiar about the onna but he couldn't figure out what it was.

Miroku on the other hand was far more forward with his response.

"Kagome!" he exclaimed and hugged her tightly whilst almost absentmindedly rubbing her ass.

She slapped him so hard he saw stars and smiled "Good to see you too lecherous monk"

"Nice one" Shippo commented. Inuyasha was still musing about the girl; the name Kagome was familiar to him...

Kagome smiled at Inuyasha "How's your brother been treating you?" she asked innocently

"YOU!" he yelled as it finally dawned on him

"That's exactly what your brother said, but with a little less volume and more venom" she told him smiling "long time no see"

"Wow" he said looking her up and down "you um... grew" his eyes settled on her chest

"I agree" Miroku had a lecherous glint in his eyes

"Gee thanks" she said "eyes on face please Inuyasha-sama"

"Um..." he went beet red

"Aw you embarrassed him" Shippo crooned "I didn't think that was possible"

"Shut it" Inuyasha hit him in the head

"Why are you here fair Kagome-sama?" Miroku asked "and how did you come to know Inuyasha-sama?"

"I'm the new healer for the castle" she shrugged "Ouja-sama InuTaisho hired me, I met Inuyasha when I was just I child"

The Kitsune and the Monk had of course heard the tale of the young girl who had challenged Sesshoumaru and survived but surely this beautiful onna couldn't be her.

She smiled angelically and they shook their heads. Surely not.

***

In a deep underground cavern a cage lay on an elevated platform that was not connected by anything to any of the walls of the cavern. The cage was balanced on a small mound in the middle of the cavern that stood two hundred feet above solid land and fifty feet away from any of the surrounding walls. It was the sort of place a beast was kept.

_Kanna, _

_Kanna..._

_Kanna._

A pair of black soulless eyes snapped open upon hearing the sound of her own name. Her seemingly ten years old wrists and ankles shook in the shackles that held her from the floor and away from the wall spread eagled like some kind of laboratory specimen.

She waited and listened. There was a flash of green light and the chains binding the girl broke and she fell from her elevated position to drop daintily onto the floor. A silver framed mirror floated over to her and she caught it in her hands calmly. The cage exploded outwards in a sharp but fluid movement and left the girl stood on a platform on her own with the mirror in her hand emitting and ethereal green light

_And so it begins._

***

"King InuTaisho!" a guard caught up to the king and bowed respectfully

"What is it that ails you?" the King asked

"There was a huge explosion in the western mountains!" he exclaimed

The King turned to face the man "And what of her?"

"We cannot find her Ouja-sama" he bowed respectfully

"It's coming" InuTaisho mumbled to himself and walked away from the perplexed guard.

A/N: I do not own Inuyasha and I make no profit from this. Thanks to the people who reviewed: Serenity digo19, Kouga'sGirl4eva and Sesshomaru's Beautiful Kristin. I love reviews they are my friends, and with that in mind please review!


	3. Chapter two: Let’s discuss

Chapter two: Let's discuss

"Damn it!" Sesshoumaru had returned to his chambers. He was mindful of the fact that he was sulking like a teenaged pup but that woman-child was so frustrating. And now he was going to have to deal with her living under the same roof as her; facing the person who had beaten him every single day.

He had half a mind to simply ignore her but he was too proud to be as cowardly as to ignore the onna.

So what should he do? He had never met a female who did not submit to him and his alpha blood demanded submission from the flighty female.

He had no idea how to face the woman as she was different from everyone else. She was more powerful than him. "No, damn it I am the most powerful!" he snarled

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" a curious voice enquired and he turned to find Rin, the young girl he had saved from wolves and decided to keep, standing in the doorway and wondering why he was talking to himself.

"Nani Rin?" he asked

"Will you come with Rin to pick flowers in the garden Sesshoumaru-sama?" she asked smiling and revealing the gap between her two front teeth.

He sighed, this child he supposed was his weakness "Hai, this Sesshoumaru will accompany you"

***

The snow whipped through the barren landscape chasing itself through the mountain precipices. The sky was hiding behind the white flurry so that it was impossible to tell where the ground ended and the sky began.

A small girl walked barefoot through the snow leaving no footprints behind her. She was impossible to see due to her white skin, white kimono and white hair. The only way to tell her from the snow was her black bottomless eyes and the mirror she held that was emitting an ominous green light.

_Find him Kanna._

She sped up her steady pace at the sound of the voice and once again disappeared into the snow.

***

Rin sprinted across the lush gardens of the palace giggling like a hyper imp as she twirled through the beautiful flowers that had mostly been planted for her comfort.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, it's so pretty" she gushed as she began to pick some of the vegetation

Sesshoumaru almost, almost, allowed a small smile to slip through his cool facade, but only almost. He frowned slightly as he heard a tinkling laughter that gave him a foreign warm feeling in his chest.

He turned to the sound and spotted his baka half brother, the Kitsune guard who worked in the castle and the lecher sat on a grass verge with Kagome sat beside them laughing.

He wasn't sure why it bothered him that she was laughing with them but it did. He walked over to the small group.

"Someone of royal blood such as you Inuyasha should not be seen lying on the floor" he told his brother as he appeared behind them causing them all to jump out of their skins bar Kagome who had already sensed his approach. She leant back and flashed him a wan smile which made his teeth grind together for unknown reasons.

"Piss off" the Hanyou replied wittily "Or I'll set Kagome on you" he laughed darkly

Sesshoumaru tried to stop the growl that threatened to slip between his teeth but to no avail. Miroku raised an eyebrow at the noise and Shippo looked curiously between the two brothers and the Miko.

"Do you need a mere onna to fight for you?" Sesshoumaru taunted regaining his composure somewhat.

"Not likely" Inuyasha spat "but she can kick your ass any day and I'll enjoy watching"

Miroku spoke up "What do you mean Inuyasha?" he asked "what could Kagome-sama do to Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"You don't know?" Inuyasha smiled in a self satisfied way and he opened his huge gob to spill all when Kagome produced a familiar fan from the sleeve of her Kimono and hit him in the head with it. The fan was strangely familiar with the blue and silver dragon pattern, it appeared to be the same fan she had used to discipline him four years ago.

Sesshoumaru started at this, surely as the one who had beaten him she would take great pleasure in gloating over the triumph. She was strange.

"He is delusional" she told the monk and the Kitsune "pay him no heed"

"Hey!" Inuyasha protested and she punched him in the gut effectively winding him so he was unable to speak. Miroku laughed at the casual battering of the young prince.

"If you say so my Kagome-sama" he bowed and kissed her hand earning himself a punch in the shoulder "I have to bid you my farewell"

"Ja ne" she smiled as he departed

"Do you not have work to do?" Sesshoumaru asked darkly glaring at Shippo who sighed and shoved himself up from the ground.

"Ja ne Inuyasha-sama" he sighed and then smiled in a friendly fashion at Kagome "nice meeting you"

"You too Shippo-kun" she said nodding

"Why'd you do that Kagome?" Inuyasha gasped as he recovered his breath

"Because" she hit him with the fan again, he was really beginning to dislike that fan "I beat Sesshoumaru for a reason—"

"And what pray tell was that?" Sesshoumaru asked in a deadly quiet voice that was somehow supposed to be friendly but only made him more threatening.

"Um..." she smiled shiftily and stepped from foot to foot feeling uncomfortable under his intense golden gaze.

"Tell me" he commanded in a tone of voice that was almost impossible to disobey

"Yeah" Inuyasha agreed with his brother for the first time in a long while

"It's simple" she said shrugging in a blasé fashion "I wanted to make Inuyasha feel better"

There was a silence.

"That was your reasoning?" Sesshoumaru sounded deceptively calm

"Oh dear" she said catching sight of his expression. His eyes were closed and the left was twitching, his mouth was twisted into a crooked smile that couldn't really be called a smile when it was completely void of humour. She did a quick prayer to Kami to help her.

"Sesshoumaru-sama and Inuyasha-sama our king wishes to speak with you both in the council chambers immediately!" Jaken ran up to them quite quickly for someone of his stature. This wasn't exactly what Kagome had, had in mind when she had asked Kami to help her but she would take what she could get.

"Why?" Inuyasha asked grumpily

"You shall not question the kings will half breed" said Sesshoumaru coldly as he stalked away into the palace.

"He doesn't change" Kagome shook her head in good natured endearment "I guess he grows on you?"

Inuyasha snorted "Yeah he grows on you, like mould on a rock"

"That analogy was crude and pointless" she said

"Keh, shut up wench"

She hit him with the fan again and he shut up. He really didn't like that fan.

A/N: I don't own Inuyasha. Thanks for reading and remember to review onegai!

Thanks go to Kouga'sGirl4eva and Serenity digo19


	4. Chapter Three: Hypothesise

Chapter three: Hypothesise

The doors were opened for the two brothers and they walked into the council chambers where King InuTaisho, Princess Izayoi and two other demons sat waiting for them. The two other demons were easily recognisable as Totosai and Myoga the King's two trusted consorts.

Izayoi and InuTaisho were sat in the two stone thrones on the raised platform at the end of the table, Totosai was sat on the third chair from the top of the long table picking his ear with his smallest finger and Myoga was bouncing up and down on the table in a way only a flea Yokai could.

"You requested an audience with us Ouja-sama?" Sesshoumaru asked in a cold but polite voice as he bowed. Inuyasha gave a disgruntled noise and followed his brother into a low bow. Sesshoumaru sat at the topmost chair at the table across from Totosai and Inuyasha sat opposite him, it was no secret he didn't like sitting that close to Totosai but Totosai could care less.

"Yes" King InuTaisho nodded "it has recently come to our attention that the Western mountains have been destroyed"

"So?" Inuyasha was impatient and dismissive "there ain't nothing there"

"Speak properly fool Inu" Totosai intoned rolling his eyes at the younger, ruder brother

"Do you know anything?" Sesshoumaru glowered at the Hanyou "The western mountains were the prison for the Mu Yokai known as Kanna; she was nearly responsible for the destruction for this world a few hundred years ago!"

"A Mu Yokai with that much power?" Inuyasha scoffed

"She was always very powerful" InuTaisho growled as his youngest son's dismissal he was looking at a scroll that had belonged to his great grandfather, on it were the specifications for her prison, no one should have been able to escape, you could have put Sesshoumaru in that prison and been able to sleep easy. He frowned, and the worry lines etched into his face deepened.

"Was she freed?" Izayoi spoke for the first time and her voice was soft and sweet

"She escaped" InuTaisho nodded solemnly as he sighed

"What will she do?" Sesshoumaru was eager now as he sensed an up and coming battle and InuTaisho repressed the urge to roll his eyes, Sesshoumaru was one for planning meticulously how to kill and then succeeding, if he didn't have something to do that involved killing he was likely to go stir crazy.

"That's the problem" InuTaisho sighed "We have no idea what she is going to do"

"Why?" Inuyasha was surprised; it wasn't every day that his father was clueless.

"Sesshoumaru-sama was wrong when he said she had tried to end the world a few hundred years ago" Myoga chipped in "It was more like a couple of thousand years ago"

"So no one remembers" Inuyasha realised

"No one from back then is still alive" Myoga put in "except a few who were directly involved with the plot to end the world and they are all imprisoned"

"Where?" Sesshoumaru asked a counter strategy currently broiling in his head, if he was the Mu Yokai he would head out and release his fallen and imprisoned comrades.

"No one remembers" Totosai put in

Sesshoumaru felt like hitting them over their heads, why did no one know? "Why?" he growled

"Their whereabouts were supposed to be kept a secret" said InuTaisho "in case some other rebels took it upon themselves to release them"

"So how does everyone know where Kanna was kept?" Inuyasha was confused

"She had the power to release the others" InuTaisho said "so her prison took seventy years to build, therefore it's pretty much common knowledge as to where she used to lie"

"So we're screwed" Inuyasha summed up what he'd heard and got himself smack around the back of his head by Sesshoumaru and told of by his mother.

"Inuyasha!" Izayoi was disparaging

"We are not as you put it screwed" InuTaisho rolled his eyes "under the lagoon of the red moon there is a chamber in which all the old records of the kingdom are kept"

"So there should be something on the last attempt at the apocalypse" Sesshoumaru nodded, now he had something to do and something to aim for.

"However" Myoga just had to rain on Sesshoumaru's parade

"What?" Sesshoumaru was deadly calm

"The records from that time will be written in the old tongue, you will not be able to read them Sesshoumaru-san" Myoga then hid from the prince behind InuTaisho's long silver hair.

"Damn it" Inuyasha growled, he hated not knowing and not being able to do nearly as much as his older brother did.

"But that is where you're wrong" said InuTaisho grinning an a non King like way

"What do you mean?" Izayoi smiled at her husband

"We have very recently taken on a new employee who was taught from a young age to read ancient texts" he chuckled at the baffled look on Inuyasha's face and the dread on Sesshoumaru's face.

"Not her!" Sesshoumaru thundered

***

Kagome sneezed and the young girl who had introduced herself as Rin looked at her in concern.

"Are you okay Kagome-neesan?" she asked curiously

"Yeah I'm fine" she said putting her mother's music box down on the dresser table as she unpacked "someone's probably just talking about me"

"Who would talk about Kagome-neesan?" she asked

"Sesshoumaru-sama probably" Kagome chuckled

"Sesshoumaru-sama, why?" she was apt with anticipation

"He doesn't like me much" Kagome grinned

"Why?" Rin was agog

"Because I beat him in a fight when we were little" Kagome shrugged

"You beat Sesshoumaru-sama?" She nearly fell over "how, Rin thought no one could beat Sesshoumaru-sama"

"No one except me" Kagome grinned and Rin smiled back revealing the gap between her two front teeth

"That's pretty" Rin said as Kagome opened the jewellery box and she set her eyes on the large locket laying prominent inside it, her mannerisms were that of a child outside a sweetshop.

The item in question was a large intricate phoenix carved in white gold that was curled around itself, there was a stone held within the phoenix's sinuous embrace that changed colours. This was peculiar as the colours seemed to change as they pleased and not because of any measurable factor, right now the stone was blood red which swirled to light pink when Kagome touched it. It was hung on a heavy white gold chain. The stone looked new, but the locket looked ancient.

"Yes it is" she nodded "but it's very old so you shouldn't touch it" she told the younger girl shutting the leather jewellery box back over the locket. The fact that it was old wasn't the reason she didn't want the young girl to touch the locket, but she decided not to tell her that.

The door was suddenly wrenched out of the way and Jaken appeared in the door way out of breath and holding the stitch in his side.

"Jaken-sama are you okay?" Rin asked carefully as she helped the kappa by finding Kagome's fan and fanning him with it.

"I'm fine" he shooed Rin away and turned his baleful glare onto Kagome

"Ouja-sama and Hime-sama request your presence in the council chambers" he said looking at Kagome with borderline resentment

"Really?" she was astounded

"Why?" Rin asked

"That is none of your concern" Jaken snapped at the younger girl before half running from the room and expecting Kagome to follow. She stumbled to her feet and rushed after the kappa and was led into the Council chambers where Sesshoumaru was arguing with his father and Inuyasha was watching gleefully. The room was devoid of everyone else as Izayoi had grown tired of their fighting, Totosai wanted to return to his mountain and Myoga was finding someone to chew on.

"But she is a mere healer, a Miko she will not accompany this Sesshoumaru anywhere!" Sesshoumaru was insisting darkly

"She is the only person I can acquire on such short notice who would be able to read the ancient texts" InuTaisho was weary, it sounded like the argument had been going on for a while

"This Sesshoumaru will not accept it" Sesshoumaru folded his arms in a gesture reminiscing of a stubborn child

"Back down" InuTaisho growled and Sesshoumaru's eyes flashed with anger for a split second before he bowed his head to his father.

"This Sesshoumaru will allow it, but it doesn't mean this Sesshoumaru likes it" he conceded before turning to glare at Kagome who stood innocently in the door way.

"May I be of some assistance Ouja-sama?" she addressed InuTaisho and bowed

He smiled in a paternal manner "Yes my dear, I would be much obliged if you would allow my sons to escort you to the lagoon of the red moon to read some ancient texts" he chuckled "it seems you are the only one who can"

"Wait, I have to go too?" Inuyasha stopped looking gleeful and started to look panicked

"You dear boy are going to ensure that Sesshoumaru does not harm the lady Kagome" InuTaisho told his son and Inuyasha smirked.

"Oh, but father don't you know?" Inuyasha grinned at Sesshoumaru who in turn bore his fangs at his younger sibling "Kagome-chan is very adept at restraining Sesshoumaru"

"Shut up whelp" Sesshoumaru ordered

InuTaisho was confused "What do you mean by that Inuyasha?"

"I mean you simply must remember all those years ago when Sesshoumaru got his ass kicked" Inuyasha smirked "Kagome here was the one delivering the ass kicking"

Kagome let out a sign of resignation and hit Inuyasha upside the head with her fan again and then innocently slipped it back into her obi. Sesshoumaru meanwhile looked like a guard dog straining against his chain, his legendary control had snapped and he looked like he was going to rip out Inuyasha's throat with his bare fangs. Kagome had noticed Sesshoumaru's volatile reaction and she stepped in between the two brothers, shielding the Hanyou with her body. Sesshoumaru's gold flickering red gaze fixed on her and he growled low in his throat.

"Sesshoumaru!" InuTaisho reprimanded his son and Sesshoumaru shook his head to control his beast.

"Inuyasha, baka" Kagome scolded the younger son and although he keh-ed his ears flattened to his head in acknowledgement of the scolding.

"You are the child who defeated my son?" InuTaisho asked in interest, if he was going to believe it he wanted to hear it from her mouth.

"Ano... hai Ouja-sama" she said pursing her lips and avoiding eye contact

"Ah" he said in the way of one who understands. He surveyed his elder son and recognised the inner turmoil. Sesshoumaru was more powerful than everyone except this onna and as such his beast wanted another chance, it wanted to make her submit to his will. Interesting...

"If we could return to the issue I was summoned for" Kagome attempted to direct the conversation towards more peaceable paths.

"Of course Kagome-chan" InuTaisho said nodding in gratitude to the diversion from the simmering seething Sesshoumaru.

"The lagoon of the red moon, I feel that I now of this place" she said musingly

"It is where the records of old are stored my dear" InuTaisho informed the young Miko

"Ah, I remember" she nodded

By this time Sesshoumaru had calmed himself somewhat and had summoned Jaken.

"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"Ready Ah-Un" he ordered "the Miko, the Hanyou and I leave at dawn"

InuTaisho laughed and did a silent prayer that they didn't kill each other along the journey.

***

"Whoa" Kagome whispered as Jaken led the two headed dragon she presumed to be Ah-Un from the stables. The dragon didn't seem to want to listen to the tiny kappa, probably something to do with the fact that in normal circumstances dragons were known to prey on kappa and the dragon was much more content in sniffing Kagome and assisting Rin in fastening his saddle.

Kagome looked ethereal in the half light of the early morning and was wearing the necklace that Rin had pointed to earlier around her neck, the phoenix rested in the hollow of her throat and the stone glinted a silver blue colour. She had worn it for a specific reason, the stone was restless and when it shifted colours as much as it had been doing of late it meant something bad was about to happen, so she had decided to wear it in order to deduce it's problem.

"Kagome-neesan, do you like Ah-Un?" Rin asked happily as she succeeded in the chore of fastening the saddle.

"Well he certainly likes me" Kagome laughed as the dragons powerful sniffing resulted in untangling her hair from its fastenings and letting it cascade in a raven waterfall down her back.

"Sesshoumaru-sama please don't leave your humble servant, allow me to accompany you!" Jaken crowed upon seeing Sesshoumaru walk up to the stables. He had donned his armour and it suited the merciless persona. He gave Jaken a look one might bestow upon a cockroach in their kitchen.

"No" was his reply

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rin asked appearing alongside Kagome "may Rin go with you?"

Sesshoumaru looked at her for a long minute before bowing his head in acceptance. He would have said no, but without him there Jaken was likely to be unpleasant towards the child. He would not stand for that. Kagome grinned as she realised Sesshoumaru's weakness appeared to be cute and ningen, he shot her a look and she stuck her tongue out at him.

"You are still a child" he told her dismissively

"Better a child than arrogant my prince" she said in an offhand way

"Insolent wench you shall not insult the prince!" Jaken crowed angrily

"I would never insult the prince" she smiled "I was making an observation, it was not directed at the prince"

"It was implied" Sesshoumaru said coldly

"Hmm, maybe it was" Kagome grinned evilly "but we will never know"

"Keh, not that this conversation isn't interesting but can we move already" Inuyasha appeared from nowhere impatient already with his arms folded across his chest.

"You will ride upon Ah-Un with Rin" Sesshoumaru told his younger brother

"Don't tell me what to do" Inuyasha grumbled but he climbed onto Ah-Un anyway

Sesshoumaru plucked Rin from the ground and placed her on the back of Ah-Un's saddle.

"What about me?" Kagome asked looking up at the Daiyokai with an expression of confusion writ on her pretty features.

"You will be travelling with this Sesshoumaru" he said snaking an arm around her waist and abruptly pulling her to his side.

"Huh?"

She squealed in shock a second later as Sesshoumaru conjured his demon cloud and they were both lifted above the top most reaches of the palace roof swiftly followed by Ah-Un. Kagome leaned out as far as she dared from Sesshoumaru's embrace to gaze down at the far distant ground where Jaken knelt sobbing on the ground; abandoned. She gasped again and pulled herself closer to Sesshoumaru burying her face in the furs he wore and silently deciding not to look up again until they landed.

Sesshoumaru for the first time in too many years bit back a laugh from the onna's behaviour and started towards the horizon.

A/N: So that's it folks, hope you enjoyed and I don't own Inuyasha and make no profit from this and all that. Thanks to the last people who reviewed; Serenity digo19 and iheartanime43


	5. Chapter Four: The Journey

Chapter Four: The Journey

Kagome had been forced to get over the fear of flying in the arms of someone who she was completely convinced would be able to drop her without remorse. The logical part of her brain had pointed out that he needed her for something and therefore he was hardly likely to kill her before he got that something. Of course Sesshoumaru didn't help her calm down much, he seemed to be flying as fast as was demonically possible and Ah-Un was having a hard time keeping up.

There was a reason he was travelling quite so fast and that was simple, he liked the terror she was expressing, because it meant she was clinging onto him more. He had no idea why he liked this quite so much and then he realised it was probably because he hardly ever had any contact with other beings that wasn't violent. He decided not to go further into his emotions; he was not one to dwell on such fickle things. He believed emotions weakened him, and as such they were shunned from his life. This was as his mother taught him and her lessons served him well.

The thought did not want to be quietened though. So he decided he merely liked the scent of her fear, after all he was a predator Yokai and though he had stopped eating ningen a long time ago (and in his father's case started bedding them) he still enjoyed the scent of their fear. It was a sweet intoxication.

Kagome was comforted from her fears by the fury thing he wore over his shoulder and after a few hours of flying she was falling asleep with her face pressed against said furry thing and her hands fisted in it, gripping it tightly. In return it seemed to be hugging her, offering her some warmth from the bitter harsh winds of flying.

She was rudely jolted awake however when they made an abrupt touch down on the ground and Sesshoumaru promptly dropped her onto her bottom. She blinked blearily and looked around the clearing she had been deposited in. It was obviously not the lagoon of the red moon.

"We will camp here for tonight" Sesshoumaru decided magnanimously tossing his hair over a broad shoulder and settling himself under a tree gracefully but with finality.

"I thought you said we could get to the lagoon of the red moon in a day" Kagome accused as she tried to serrupticiously rub her abused bottom

"This Sesshoumaru could" he glared at her "but the added weight of a ningen onna slowed this Sesshoumaru down"

As he spoke Ah-Un landed and deposited Rin and Inuyasha.

"The great and fearsome Sesshoumaru-sama is admitting to being slowed down by little old me?" Kagome taunted whilst rolling her eyes

"Do not try this Sesshoumaru's patience" he warned in a growl

She ignored him "Is there a hot spring nearby?" she turned to Inuyasha who rolled his eyes and sniffed the air, all the while muttering something about him not being a dog. He looked like one to her. Ring giggled as Kagome accidentally voiced her opinion out loud, thankfully too quietly for the young Hanyou prince but loud enough to make Sesshoumaru bite back a smirk that nobody saw.

"That way wench" he gruffly pointed her in the direction of some bushes and grinned from ear to ear she grabbed her bow and her supplies from Ah-Un and raced off to the enticing call of hot water dragging Rin with her.

"What's got your Moko-Moko in a bunch?" Inuyasha asked his older brother as he deftly chopped a dead tree into fire wood and let Ah-Un light it with his fire. Sesshoumaru allowed himself a brief moment to scowl at the Hanyou before his stoic mask returned and with casual disinterest he swatted his brother with the back of his hand affectively throwing him forwards head first to kiss the earth.

"See what I mean?" Inuyasha mumbled around the dirt he was currently trying not to ingest. "since when do you get so riled up over a ningen onna, a Miko no less?"

"This Sesshoumaru is not 'riled up' as you put it" Sesshoumaru was disdainful towards his brothers as Inuyasha sat back on his haunches

"I've never seen you almost lose your beast that many times in casual conversation, face it aniki she's under your skin." Inuyasha may not have seemed it at time but he could be perceptive

Sesshoumaru realised that no verbal reply would redeem his person and so with an air of arrogance he settled into the lotus position and attempted to meditate his anger away.

"Maybe she'll drive him crazy" Inuyasha said hopefully, earning an eye roll from Ah-Un and a low growl from Sesshoumaru.

***

_You have arrived Kanna_

The being that had been given the name Kanna looked above her at the huge icy mountain that dwarfed her tiny frame. Nothing registered in her eyes, not even a flicker of trepidation.

_Release him Kanna_

The child, for she did not appear to be her three thousand years, looked the mountain up and then down before closing her eyes. The flurry of snow became wilder and faster as if some unforeseen force was whisking it into a frenzy. And then the flurry eased out into a discernable pattern, a funnel around the girl that became an orb of swirling snow that lifted the girl and floated her from the floor.

The snow orb containing one Yokai started its assent.

***

Kagome sighed deeply as she settled into the amazing warm water and she pulled her pendant from her neck and dropped it onto her folded obi before doing a small semblance of a breast stroke across the spring with Rin splashing her cheerfully the whole time. She dunked her own head and Rin's head under the water and emerged again flipping her hair back over her shoulder in time to see a pair of eyes watching them and thus nearly die of shock.

There was a small seemingly harmless monkey Yokai sat atop the boulder next to her clothes and pendant watching her with huge brown eyes.

"Look Kagome-neechan, a monkey!" Rin clapped her hands in a cute manner splashing water accidentally at the Miko.

"Umm" she was unsure of how to handle the situation and cocked her head to one side, giggling with Rin as the monkey copied her. At their giggles the monkey let out its own imitation giggle and she grinned at him. He grinned evilly back at her and jumped from his perch on the rock and landed atop her bundle of clothes.

"What are you..." her voice trailed off as the mischievous malicious monkey grabbed her pendant and propelled itself into the canopy of the tree's near her. She sat there in denial for a moment, after all she had been protecting the locket from demons with tremendous power for years and it got stolen by a baby monkey Yokai with a naughty streak. She shook her head and snapped back to her senses and heaved herself from the water, taking off in hot pursuit of the monkey Yokai after grabbing a thin white yukata to cover her modesty.

"Rin stay here!" she yelled

Cursing all the while in an utmost unladylike fashion she threaded through the underbrush and ducked the low hanging bows as she gave chase to the deranged monkey.

She paid little heed to either the branches cutting the flesh of her legs, nor the direction in which she was chasing the monkey and the reality was suddenly brought to her attention when the monkey led her into the camp that her companions had set up.

The two brothers looked at the panting bedraggled, sodden and bleeding Miko and both reacted oppositely.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled standing up and looking around for any sign of danger "What happened? Are you okay?"

"Fooled by a monkey Miko?" Sesshoumaru was having a hard time deciding whether to smirk or to ogle her relatively uncovered flesh and so decided to keep his mask up and taunt her instead. After all a demon such as he should not allow himself to be enraptured by a soggy ningen.

"Not right now Sesshoumaru -sama" she commented as she jumped upon the small monkey Yokai and wrestled the pendant from its grasp. Once it was safely around her throat she stuck her tongue out at the monkey Yokai and released it.

Sesshoumaru was reeling, overcome with the urge to reprimand her for her dismissal of him and the wet robe sticking to her wet body was not helping matters.

Scenting his brother's confusion and arousal Inuyasha started to laugh himself stupid; that was until he flew over Kagome's head in a flash of red and silver and collided with a tree, crushing it. He left a large Hanyou shaped hole in the foliage which for a brief moment caught Sesshoumaru's interest, it really was perfectly shaped.

"Inuyasha-sama?" Kagome asked looking over to her friend before turning around in terror as she felt warm, foul smelling breath caress her neck. She was confronted with the baby monkey Yokai, but this time he had brought a friend. A decidedly huge friend.

"Holy—" she started before he brought down his giant fist and she was whisked out of the way.

She opened her clenched shut eyes to spy Sesshoumaru holding her protectively to his chest and glaring at the Yokai.

She sort of stared at him in a daze for a moment before snapping back to her right mind and cursing herself for becoming a cowering female. He put her down on the ground next to Ah-Un.

"Stay here" and then he unsheathed Toukijin and went to battle.

He was mesmerising and for a moment she forgot what was happening. The monkey was all brute strength and no finesse. Sesshoumaru was a intricately balanced force of both unstoppable destructive power and undeniable grace and discipline. He literally shone. The look on his face though was enough to snap her out of her momentary awed stupor. His eyes golden like his brothers did not glow with the same light, they were flat. Dead. He was bored, uncaring and completely confident in his own ability. It was as she had feared the first time she had met him and it abruptly made her angry. Livid.

She seethed where she sat on the ground and swiftly decided there was no way on earth she was letting him be her 'knight in shining armour'. She had no bow, no sword, nothing but she did still have her powers. She stood and held her arm out, imagining a bow and then pulled back an imaginary arrow and let it fly at the huge monkey Yokai. That was promptly reduced to dust by a combination of her reiyouku and his dragon strike. That was enough to annoy her, she hadn't wanted his help. But she swallowed it down; it would do her no good to get on the bad side of this prince.

"It is an extraordinary ability you posses" Sesshoumaru said sheathing his sword and walking back over to her, but before she could smile at the compliment he continued "you managed to find the only threatening Yokai within this entire area and make it angry enough that it was a challenge"

She glared at him, but refused to do anything more. "I am sorry Sesshoumaru-sama" she said "I will try better in the future" she spat the words out as if they were deadly poison and he raised a brow at her.

"Where is Rin?" he asked suddenly glaring at her his golden eyes fierce and less dead than they had been prior. They were lit by a parents worry; it was a chilling fire.

"I told her to stay at the hot spring whilst I chased the baby monkey Yokai my lord" she confessed as they both glanced in the direction of the hot spring in time to hear the heart breaking scream of a terrified young girl.

Rin.

Sesshoumaru had vanished in an instant and Kagome soon followed, leaving the unconscious Inuyasha to fend for himself.

She burst into the clearing where she had left Rin to find an empty hot springs, Sesshoumaru with his back to her and her bathing supplies scattered and broken.

"Rin-chan?" Kagome called out hopelessly and the red eyed Daiyokai turned on her and growled, low and feral and she backed away; fast.

She was not afraid, Lady Kaede had long ago taught her that fear was only necessary in those who did not know how to fight, rather she was hurt.

The look he had given her had been angry, yes, but it was also accusing. In his eyes it was her fault that Rin was gone. She thought so too and the guilt was a literal stabbing sensation in her side. She could remember when Yokai had stolen children from her old village, no matter who went to try and find them the children never returned and sometimes the people that went searching were lost forever too. Her panic died down and she knew they had to do something. Now.

Sesshoumaru inhaled a deep breath searching for Rin's scent he was momentarily incensed when he smelt no fear from the ningen next to him, she should fear his beast. That much was definite. He eventually caught scent of his ward on the wind, not her blood though, thank the kami. But her scent was marred by monkey Yokai stench. He began to wonder if maybe stealing the Miko's necklace had been a simple distraction for the rest of the troop to steal the child. Ningen child was a delicacy amongst the lesser Yokai and one such as Rin who was clean and healthy would be something to covet.

He growled his dissatisfaction to the world and took off in the direction of her scent, laced with an acrid fear that burnt his nose and almost made him whimper.

"Wait, Sesshoumaru-sama!" she yelled trying to follow him.

"You will stay here" he grit out between his clenched fangs, "enough damage has been caused by you onna"

"But—" she started

And then he turned back to look at her from the ledge of boulders he had climbed effortlessly, she was scrambling up them agilely and appeared to resemble a mountain goat. He growled and her and his eyes flashed an even more evil red, uncertain she took a step back.

Her foot encountered no resistance from any ground and she fell backwards off the outcrop of rocks with a short indignant shriek. She hit the ground and he wrinkled his nose as he heard the sound of her skull impacting with the unforgiving earth.

"Ah-Un" he said and the two headed dragon crashed through the foliage "Watch the Miko, insure no harm comes to her while she sleeps" and with that he vanished.

Ah-Un glanced down at the Miko and snorted, if she was merely 'sleeping' it was a horse. Pulling the blanket it had been carrying from its saddle bag the dragon laid it over the unconscious Miko. Lowering itself to its belly it curled around her and prepared to wait.

***

Rin was scared. Very scared. She couldn't remember the last time she had feared for her life so, or rather she could but she chose to suppress the memory lest it terrify her even more. After all the last time she had been quite this terrified she had died. And this time she had no idea where Sesshoumaru-sama was.

They had dragged her across the floor for a while, until the backs of her legs were burning and she started to cry. At which point she was hauled of the ground and thrown over a shoulder to stop the crying.

"This human girl smells tasty" one Monkey Yokai commented to his brother as they walked towards the rest of their troop with the small girl slung over a shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

The troop nodded their agreement of his assessment as the two approached them and the two monkey Yokai calmly walked forward and presented the rarest of meats to their alpha.

The silver monkey Yokai looked down at the young girl and sniffed her slightly, she smelled like she had been bathing, but there was another latent scent that was less easy to identify. He frowned as he deciphered it. Inu.

"Who did you take this girl from?" the alpha asked in trepidation as Rin shuddered and attempted to make herself as small as possible.

"Give me the child" a gruff barely restrained voice ordered and the troop of monkey Yokai turned to look at their doom with baleful eyes.

Their doom had a name; it was Sesshoumaru...

A/N: So how'd everyone like it? Review and let me know! I have thanks to give to the lovely people who reviewed on fanfiction dot net; Serenity digo19, iheartanime43, Moonflower77 (and a big hug back) and Shadowblayze. Also kudos to autumngold and their never ending stream of questions, here are some answers; yes the necklace is important, very important, as for the Inuyasha and Rin angle I'm going to have to tell you to wait and see, yes Kagome and Sesshoumaru are beginning to start some kind of relationship but that's as much as I can say without giving anything away. So there you go I updated!


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